


Fairground Follies

by Peacockery



Category: Cuphead (Video Game)
Genre: Domestic Bliss, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Open for Asks!, Polyamory, Rated T for some dark themes and potential smut references, shenanigans everywhere
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-07
Updated: 2018-05-14
Packaged: 2019-03-01 10:23:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 18,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13292835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Peacockery/pseuds/Peacockery
Summary: Magic is in the air, as they say. A miniseries on the patient magician, his charming clown and the occasional shenanigans with their sweet third wheel.





	1. Frights in the Night

**Author's Note:**

> I adore CandyClown as my underdog pairing, but my heart is also set on Magic Carnival too. During my time in the fandom, I've seen a lot of great ideas people have discussed for this rather popular ship, so I wanna make my contributions. :)
> 
> This first chapter is dedicated to a wonderful reader who asked for Cagney and Beppi stuff, and also inspiration from a blog I follow currently having a comic series of Cagney accidentally popping the poor clown. 
> 
> For this collection I am more than open to accept requests at my tumblr- I am Socks-On-Parade so hit me up if interested! Enjoy!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dreams were terrible teases.

Djimmi wished he could easily forget the nightmare.

It was as loud as it had been numbing to his dream self. What traumatized him the most was what he had seen could easily come to fruition.

It was no secret that Beppi’s charm was very infectious throughout the isles. He could make friends with anyone he crossed paths with, no matter how volatile or unlikely the other party could be. When Cagney appeared in Djimmi’s sleep, he appeared lonely, wounded and drenched from heavy rains. At first, it felt like a ruse; the genie had long known the sentient flower to be deceptively charming to mask his predatory nature. 

Himself, he stood on a small hill overlooking the sacred garden that was quickly drowning under the pounding droplets. The King of the Meadow looked desperate and hopeless, trying everything he could to protect his smaller kin. He was uprooting one spot, hunching over others and using his viney hands to dig out patches that were almost completely submerged. It was an incredibly heavy sight to witness.

What felt heavier than his heart was Djimmi’s startled response to having no control in his limbs. He just stood there like a selfish twit, unable to conjure a spell from his hands. The storm raged on, growing darker and louder to his senses until his entire world was snuffed out in pitch nothingness...and it soon swallowed up all sound into its gluttonous abyss.

It was like a night terror. Djimmi couldn’t move his legs, and his voice was rendered mute. All he could do was stay in place as if his feet were rooted, present as a distant god watching his subjects suffering in this hazy world. The silence in the dark dragged on, prickling his skin with terrible anticipation as he heaved and waited. And then, the light returned.

It was a single beam puncturing through the void, illuminating only the spot where the defeated flower slumped. His petals looked sickly and speckled under the fragmented rays which scattered through the branches above. Cagney’s face was almost hidden under the wilted heaviness of his crest, twitching the visible tip of his nose as he held back tears. Droplets from the terrible rain streaked down his body in glittering droplets; they gave him no apology as they kissed him.

Djimmi balled his fists, fighting the paralysis which stunted him. He lived to help others- what cursed place was this to deny him his purpose? As angry as his eyes had been, they softened considerably as something...or someone, peeked out from behind the tree.

His heart thundered in his chest. Beppi, the sunshine of his own life, was casually strolling around the mighty plant to observe the sentient one. He had a spring in his step, just like he always did; his smile was grand and glittering under the strange sunlight, the same as it was every day in the genie’s life. Beppi, rocking on his heels as he listened to Cagney sniffle, peppy and eternally unyielding in his optimism. Beppi, giggling his usually infectious giggles as he patted the flower’s shoulder and caught his attention...it was all so beautiful. He was beautiful.

Cagney was reared like a cobra, petals flared back out and eyes sharp as he was observed. Djimmi was afraid he would attack with those terrifying spines and fanged teeth, but this was not Cagney. This wasn’t the same grove keeper that the genie was familiar with in his waking hours. He shouldn’t have been surprised, watching with raised brows when the fictional flower sniffled and listened. Djimmi had charmed many snakes before, but he was not confident in this one.

He tightened his fists while fighting for feeling in his legs. Helplessly, he spectated the clown fearlessly sidling up to the living force of nature. Beppi was his, and his alone. Djimmi was not a jealous being- he was quite sensible, really. Right now, he was as composed as a rabbit in a hunter’s snare, helpless and bleeding himself dry on pounding adrenaline.

Beppi was many things, but a harlot he was not. His mind wandered and his legs ran wild, but he did have a code of honor somewhere within his flashy suit. The jester committed to his projects, and no soul tamed his own and kept him indulged the same ways his exotic lover did. That should have soothed Djimmi’s heart. Rational, grounded, realistic...it was just difficult to recite those words in his mind as his frantic eyes watched that lean body scraping up against those menacing thorns. He gritted his teeth as Beppi cooed and purred something giddy to Cagney, whose expression was quickly falling into a peaceful, kingly stupor. Djimmi could have snapped his own jaws from the pressure put on them, the moment that snaking vined hand curled around the technicolor suit and drew its owner closer.

Beppi nodded to whatever Cagney sniffled out to him, poking that pointed golden nose before patting a large cheek; he blinked at the pollen which gathered on it, and cackled as he slapped his face to dust it. The antics earned a soft chuckle from the somber flower, who appeared to be cheering up considerably.

It would have been noble if Beppi’s mission was to just brighten the day of another- attention and laughter were like drugs that revved up his being, much like the giddy highs Djimmi indulged in when granting wishes. They were both merrymakers in their own way...the genie was just dreading that this method was going to get more...intimate, then he would allow.

Cagney was staring down at the clown, chuffing to himself as a dreamy smile grew on his features. He clearly found the intoxicating pep just as endearing. And then, it happened. Beppi hopped out from the embrace, taking a few steps back so that he could comfortably spread his arms and offer himself up for a hug. It was a gift of friendship, from a blissful soul to a sorrowed one. To Djimmi it was a sacrifice waiting to happen.

The magician was employing every bit of willpower in his being to pull his legs out of their frozen curse, eyes widening as the flower played with his hands and asked hesitantly if it was a good idea; he too must have caught notice of that fragile body grinding along his thorns earlier. For a moment, there was hope that what Djimmi was watching wouldn’t take the path to ruin. Beppi dropped his arms, frowning. He thought for a moment, scratching his chin while looking around, and then grinned again with a nod. 

God dammit.

His voice failed him again, but Djimmi was not going to fail entirely. Silent and wheezing, he fought for sound and movement in his struggle. He waved his hands dramatically, but he may as well had been invisible to the potential courtship before him. Cagney thought for a moment, and his eyes turned sultry again. It made the genie’s stomach drop with terror. Time seemed to slow as those long, viney arms extended again, drawing in the clown like a siren’s call. They hugged each other warmly, Cagney slowly bending forward to trap Beppi in his embrace. The clown seemed incredibly happy at the gesture, nuzzling his face among those soft petals and fighting back the beginnings of a sneeze as fresh pollen began to flake down onto his head…

And then, Djimmi heard it.

The _POP!_ decimated the silence like a gunshot. It was the key which broke his shackles, and he lunged forward in his liberation. His voice struck before his fists, bellowing a blow to harden his punches as he made a lunge for the flower’s face. Cagney hissed and dodged, dropping the limp body out of wild-eyed, trembling shock. He balled himself up against the tree trunk and flared his crest but made no movements under the towering fury of crimson death looming above him.

Djimmi had to stop himself in his threat to beat the weed’s face in; making a bath tonic out of his pollen, however, was food for thought. His trembling fingers tore themselves away from striking range and dipped to the soaked earth with his knees to follow, clumsily scooping up the deflated form in his arms.

The limp, flat, headless body. He couldn’t find the strength to pick up the shredded ribbons of red and white laying about like confetti near the small top hat. Like a baby he sobbed, holding the deflated suit close as the light above them dimmed.

He swore he could feel movement jerking around underneath, as he did a faint screeching.

Djimmi jolted out of his nightmare when the slap he felt turned out to be real.

Dumbly, he clung to the real Beppi, who was flailing and squeaking under the genie’s suffocating bear hug. A swift elbow to his rib finally snapped him back to reality, and he released his lover with a confused, wild blink.

Beppi was bristling among the covers of their bed, scrambling to push himself up onto hands and knees. Panting and wide eyed, his startled and maddened stare matched the genie’s in the dark confines of their bed. Djimmi took the smack to his cheek in stride as he was rightfully bitched out, sitting upright in a sluggish stupor. Beppi crossed his arms and hissed something at him regarding the rude awakening, but dropped it when he saw how lost and troubled Djimmi looked.

It wasn’t like his boyfriend, to be so...undone.

He held still when large fingers slowly brushed along his cheek, checking for something he was clueless for. His face was soft and rosey without his makeup, something which soothed Djimmi’s pounding heart when he found no smudging traces of...whatever it was that had frazzled his mind. Beppi furrowed his brows, squeaking out his concern as he patted his big guy’s shoulder.

Djimmi was avoiding his gaze; something must have terrified him in his dream, and Beppi disliked not knowing things. He crawled up into the genie’s lap, smacking his hands away so he could stretch himself up and cup the magician’s cheeks. Fortunately for him, it was enough to draw the larger male’s attention to him.

With his makeup, Beppi was a precious little thing. Without it...he was unbearably charming. Djimmi heaved back a shaking cry, and instead gave his little one a tender gaze while sweeping his fingers through the mop of red curls which sat on the showman’s head- how Beppi managed to squish them under his bald caps to make his goofy persona was a mystery even Djimmi couldn’t decipher. The same could be said on how he didn’t sneeze or scratch at the applications he used to make his nose and eyebrows exaggeratingly goofy for his performances. Without all of that...stars above, he was blessed to have such a wild little cutie in his bed. That same cutie had crossed his arms again, watching him with those wild, dazzling yellow eyes.

Djimmi promised himself that one day he could banish the devil’s influence entirely, and give back those hazel hues he had grown to miss so much. In moments like this, he counted his blessings that Beppi was still the same playful spirit he met so many years ago before the signings.

He found himself staring, and he saw that it was making Beppi increasingly impatient. Snapping himself out of it, Djimmi managed a small chuckle, and sheepishly chimed about his dream while rubbing the back of his neck.

Beppi’s real brows raised a bit, and fell back again in knitted concern at how wild and ludicrous those events sounded. He snorted and waved it off that he was allergic to pollen while he rolled his eyes, and produced that famous charming grin he was known for. The clown snorted to himself and made a pun that he wasn’t that “thorny” to go and start hugging it out with someone else.

Djimmi stared at him long and hard for a moment, letting his own smile creep along his lips as reality finally caught up with him completely. A heavy sigh escaped him as he slowly wrapped his large arms around the smaller body within them, bringing his lips to kiss the spot where the dream Cagney’s pollen had been; it was a silent promise to never fail in trusting what he guarded close.

He pulled them both back to the bed, where Beppi spent the rest of the night soothing his boyfriend with his presence within that warm embrace. When morning came, Djimmi found himself alone.

That bothered him immensely. Beppi was always a late bloomer.

He bolted back up and looked around the room, eyes snapping to attention at the mirror by their wardrobes. A heavy sigh of relief escaped him as he watched his beloved preening himself in his trademark suit, all dolled up in his unique markings with the classic applications that gave him his cartoonish look. Beppi caught caught movement behind him in the mirror, and turned to grin back at the handsome fella occupying his bed. He pushed on his nose prosthetic, producing a honking noise while pushing his tongue out. Djimmi laughed at the sight, and crooked his finger in a beckon.

It surprised him when Beppi bounced on his heels and gleefully shook his head.

Why not?

The clown primped at the fake flower currently buttoned to one of the diamond patches on his chest, announcing he was gonna head out and start his day early. Djimmi regarded him curiously, but dropped it- he couldn’t blame a cutie who lived on an adult playground. If he were back home, he’d see no fault in rising early to meditate atop his favorite pyramid. Reluctantly, he sank back among the blankets, watching him with a dreamy smile.

It was a magic trick in itself, seeing two completely different aspects of the same quirky, untamed spirit he had fallen for once upon a time. Whether he was a dolled entertainer or a scrappy little curly headed-fella, Djimmi rested easily in knowing that Beppi was his and his alone. He watched his lover finishing in his prep time, gleeful to keep the secrets of his real appearances all to himself; the world wasn’t good enough to have all of the showman.

He had his arms tucked behind his head when his vibrant little rabbit skipped his way over, exchanging a goodbye kiss and a nuzzle before Djimmi found himself alone in the tent. Perhaps he too should get going...but ultimately, his deep yawning chose for him. He was tired.

The genie hummed to himself, licking his lips while settling back into a cozy patch of mattress to drift off upon. A lazy morning, all to himself...that was a first in a long time. It was ambitious, that his lover would be up and running during his own prime sleeping time…

Djimmi’s eyes snapped open when he remembered the flower on Beppi’s chest.

He distinctly remembered it being yellow with orange petals.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Questions or comments? Check out my blog!  
> Socks-on-parade.tumblr.com
> 
> I also have a new discord server!  
> https://discord.gg/vZkuund


	2. Sugar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A drabble on outsmarting the enemy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This bit is dedicated to Yellow-Py on tumblr, who produced a very adorable comic on Djimmi shutting up Beppi with a kiss. So, I took their idea (with permission) and explored it a bit.
> 
> It is a bit short so I apologize!

Full of hot air, Beppi could talk for days.

Djimmi was always polite in conversation, sitting primly at the table with his hands folded, nodding and humming to the endless trains of thought his boyfriend was letting loose and simultaneously derailing at the same time. His caravan was not the biggest place to vent and dine over biscuits and blends...but he took pride in subtly giving his clown the option of sitting in his lap among the cramped space.

Of course, Beppi just had to play difficult today. He nattered and giggled about the most random topics that his mind happened to snap out of the brainstorm, flicking his hand this way and that while his cup was growing progressively colder by the minute. He twittered on about balloon arts, his penguins, what funnel cakes were made of, how much of a bitch Bon Bon was this morning, his favorite carousel pony, how much of a sore loser Bon Bon was at the strength game, what Djimmi smelled like after his hunky shower, why his tea didn’t have enough sugar in it, why Bon Bon was aiming her darts curiously close to his face yesterday when they played balloon…

Djimmi was fully awake and sound, but his eyes were surely building up some dark circles. 

He loved listening to his partner’s tangents, and found him incessantly adorable whenever he became so passionate about things that made him happy. Those things were everything, he realized...mostly. Bubble baths and vegetables seemed to be on the showman's shitlist, but those were a work in progress. Perhaps by the end of this month the genie would be successful in deep frying a carrot.

He drummed his fingers over his other hand, eyes growing heavier as individual words slowly buzzed into a static white noise; it was at this time that he would start musing more over his lover’s enhanced eyelashes or how he was sloshing tea around on the table top. It was fine- he himself had nothing worthwhile to add to this conversation. What mattered was his personal time in having Beppi all to himself.

Although, he was starting to get a tinge of a headache.

The big guns were employed as he leaned over, cupping colorful cheeks while pressing his lips against the wild pair. When he leaned back, Djimmi felt a soothing wave of silent bliss wash over his amped up senses- Beppi was much more fun to watch anyway, dumbstruck and perking up a tiny and off kilter smile.

\---

Their next tea break had gone marginally better.

Beppi was on his best behavior it seemed, chattering less and simply pelting ideas at Djimmi who tossed them back.

Djimmi thought street corn tasted delicious. Beppi made a face and huffed that he liked it more with extra sauces. The genie chuckled, and nodded.

Of course. His little rabbit was quite the saucy thing.

Naturally, Beppi hopped quickly to the next topic. He snorted and took a swig of tea, nearly choking on the tartness- still too bitter. His big oaf needed to step his game up. 

Placing a proud hand on his chest, he proudly announced that sugared popcorn was the best carnival veggie food. This earned a soft chuckle from the magician, who nodded while slowly quirking a brow. The clown was clearly holding himself back, biting on his tongue while tapping his fingers against the table to the motions of an invisible piano. Beppi was just playing fair because he was no doubt thinking about the best plan of action to get another impromptu kiss.

It was a hilarious notion- he could have anything he wanted if he simply _asked_ , but Djimmi knew better. Beppi became bored of his prizes when they were easy to snag.

So, the genie played dumb. He cocked his head and made a passing note that while sugared popcorn was nice with its caramel drippings and glazes, he felt that a nice spicy pepper version was superior. He tapped his chin in thought, glancing down to see the downright offended look on the clown’s face. He was thankful that he had years of practiced poker faces under his belt.

He might as well could have just said he had been fooling around with some other fella, for Beppi would not sit down for this confession of treason. He bolted up, slammed his fists on boney hips and huffed loudly while he declared his wide range of opinions on why his hot boyfriend was a fool for saying that popcorn should taste as hot as his skin. He wagged his finger and spewed on a rant about some incredulous origin of the food, the importance of butter and sweetness, why Djimmi was a weirdo (which somehow progressed into sleuthing on why he never wore shirts under his vest) among other outlandish points of importance.

Djimmi listened to it all, even conjuring up some parchment and a pen so that he could pretend to take notes- somewhere during Beppi’s tirade on popcorn logistics among traveler diversity, the genie was already halfway through a sketch on himself wearing a fancy black suit. Once he began to hear the telltale beginnings of winded wheezing out from his lover’s throat did he burn the papyrus and placed his long-snuffed pipe on the table.

Beppi hissed as he was approached, kicking and wiggling like the proud little shit that he was when Djimmi scooped him up onto his back like a little critter in those big and warm arms. The genie allowed him time to kick his legs and twitch his nose as the piss burned out with the vinegar in him, letting his smile completely foster when his mad little jackrabbit shifted to a tired loppy bunny. Chuckling to himself, he started to lean his face in, feeling a burst of proud heat blooming in the depths of his chest when Beppi eagerly (and huffily) met him up halfway.

The tea cups were soon forgotten.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Questions or comments? Hit me up on my tumblr!  
> Socks-on-Parade.tumblr.com
> 
> Also check out my new discord server if you'd like, listed under my blog header. :)


	3. Song of Sands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Music can tame beasts. They could also rile them up.
> 
> A drabble on charming a lover.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was another request piece I have received. You know who you are dear, and I hope you enjoy this. Happy belated birthday!

Djimmi was the sort of whimsical man to whistle while he worked.

Ancient as he was, he had picked up many tunes over the years. Old shanties from sailors, gay tales from bards, blissful lullabies at night from humbled keepers...music truly brought the world closer. 

He was a peaceful sort, avoiding a break of silence if unnecessary. He listened more than he talked, and chuckled in place of remarks. As a dreamchaser, it was a hard art to tame, of simply stepping back and fully taking in the wishes of the spirits and hints from the universe.

So, when words were not important, he hummed. He hummed old riddles scholars once told him, and hymns various devouts from different faiths bequeathed. As he worked his fortunes and performed his wonders, he hummed proud tales of ancient heroes, and when he held his love, musical mantras of eternal promise crept from his throat.

Music often spoke so much more than his thoughts ever could. They soothed hearts without bias, and broke suspicion; there were many that admired his magic, but feared his prowess lent him perspectives no mortal could ever wield. Singing to the people songs without words showed that he too walked their paths.

It was hard though, not to get too caught up in the catchy appeal of carnival music. But, Djimmi found the whimsical notes and popping rhythms to fit in with the equally bouncy energy of his lover, which eventually brought him to appreciate the quirkiness of it all. He never found it easy to perform the pieces he memorized for Beppi, however; eccentric as he was, the clown took to Djimmi’s lack of actual singing to mean he was annoyed by circus music, as Beppi could never actually piece together the actual songs behind the quiet hums his big hunk always seemed to be mumbling out. He had just assumed that the quiet notes were simply old spells or something he was too stupid to figure out. Nosy as he was, Beppi’s childish logic at times made ire when there was no need- in time he had begun to squint and pester the genie as to what in the world he was making a hushed racket over.

Such prodding over time shifted Djimmi’s musical moments to more sneakier moments. Either he waited until Beppi was out of earshot, or saved them while counting his fortunes, watching the smaller sleep while gently caressing his face or along his fingers. 

The carnival music was something else, but when he was around Beppi, the world around him instead felt like a music box, slowing time and capturing it with gentle beauty. It was a sort of magic he couldn’t control, but welcomed whenever their gazes met and his smile rushed to match the clown’s- Beppi always beat him to it.

Sometimes, the bliss he felt swelled so greatly in his chest that he simply couldn’t hold it back any longer.

This day was marked to be a fine one, clear as blue glass and void of clouds. Under the familiar heat of summer he worked, enjoying the blaze against his crimson skin while he puffed away at his pipe and took a comb to his enchanted little cats. Each had their own attitude towards being groomed- one was hopping around his hand as it approached while another floated upwards when he made attempts to grab it by the scruff. Others perched sideways against his tent or played underneath the seer’s table he had brought out to enjoy under the weather. Their antics never bothered him- the children always came racing once they saw the mystical creatures.

Indeed, a small crowd of young spectators formed beyond the stanchions, pointing while held in place by the hands of their parents. A few were given permission to slink in on the genie’s approval, with boys hopping to hands and knees to chase after a few of the felines while girls sat with legs tucked and dresses smoothed first before they wiggled their fingers and clicked their tongues. Djimmi watched them all, admiring the innocence of the young. A soft hum began to draw from the depths of his throat, rich and purring as though he were the king of lions, legs crossed with uncanny shapes billowing among the smoke trails his pipe created. As the children played so did he- he set down the comb and carefully plucked one of the smaller cats.

Holding the tanned creature in his large hands, the ancient magician chuckled under the playful bats those little beans between fussy toes delivered. He teased the kitten with a smudge of a thumb against the eyeliner markings peeking out from the corner of an eye, as his voice remained soft and crooning. The cat wiggled but settled shortly after, watching him with tucked in limbs and a lazy blink; its eyes began to slowly drift shut once actual lyrics poured from his lips like warm honey, silky and rich.

It was the first time he had ever outwardly sang in ages. The effects were instantaneous- the crowd paused and hushed, watching him with curious awe. Politely, Djimmi kept his eyes set on the tiny animal in his embrace, and he kept his voice directed to aid the growing peace in the sleepy beast’s eyes. He sang an old song of his people to his pet, while the rest of the cats slipped away from grabbing fingers to sit around his legs with flicked ears and whipping tails. Charmed, they were, as were their human guests. Every onlooker was frozen in place as they observed, taking in the sweet notes and rumbling deepness of the singer’s voice and his archaic, exotic words. By the time he was finished, the kitten was sound asleep against most of one palm, head almost lolled over the side behind his thumb.

The children blinked and jolted back into motion once the silence hit, as did their parents. The small brigade scrambled back onto scuffed shoes and dusty boots, scampering up behind the alignment of cats to beseech more from the genie. One boy (lacking both manners and front teeth) pumped his fist and demanded a song of an old sailor he knew, while a blonde one chuffed and biffed him in the shoulder for being dumb. A few of the girls whispered amongst themselves, before one, a brave little brunette, rocked on her heels and asked if Djimmi knew any nursery rhymes. The genie took all of their requests in stride, laughing heartily to get a rise out of them. Some he knew, but with some guidance, he could always perform a new one for a new friend.

The parents watched from their spot behind the ropes, amused and touched by the fatherly gentleness of the powerful being. Among them, Djimmi swore he saw a blur of color zipping through the crowd once he had looked up.

\---

Once his performance had waned and his audience dispersed, Djimmi dismissed his magical pets back into their own dimension so he could find his boyfriend. Part of his intuition was nagging at him that Beppi had caught him in the act and had reacted aversely; the reasons why were beyond even the genie’s high planes of understanding. Beppi sang all the time in his own singsong, squeaky way; was he that offended that his masculine lover could too? Perhaps it was jealousy, or some other strange kerfuffle the clown had been brewing up in his head. During their time together, Djimmi had long learned that Beppi felt very territorial of his spotlights, and that this was _his_ carnival, after all. The main star usually didn’t like competing for showtimes. 

That was a silly thought, but it had always confused him as to why his little rabbit got so hoppy and elusive on reasoning whenever the humming debacle was brought up. Beppi was just hard to open up, but Djimmi chalked it off to jealousy or his stubborn insistence on knowing the reasoning for anything; because Djimmi often disliked putting himself on the spot by singing, he must have stirred up quite the conspiracy on his strange noises that Beppi simply couldn’t wrap his head around.

It clearly won over the people, be it his throaty bass tone or the way he enchanted his words whenever he spoke. And he found it adorable if Beppi was that embarrassed over not being able to duplicate that talent himself.

It brought an amused smile to his face when he opened the door to his private caravan, knowing damn well that this was where his brooding little one had hopped off to. Indeed, Beppi had every tome in the space ripped from their shelves and propped open at all sections on the bed, with a large one in particular settled in his lap as he locked up from his snooping. They both looked at each other, and Djimmi crossed his arms.  
All it took was the raising of a brow to get Beppi to break.

The clown slammed the book shut as if that was enough to clear him of suspicions, though he didn’t look angry at being caught- quite the contrary. He watched Djimmi with an almost shy softness to his normally wild eyes, yielding the same entranced curiosity that the children displayed. They kept a brief silence together, while the clown mulled over his options. Respectfully, his genie gave him all the time that he needed to plead his case.

Furrowing his brows, Beppi opened his mouth to speak. Then he chuffed, shook his head with a small tingling of an unseen bell, and growled at something he was tripping mentally on. He raised a hand and pointed a finger, but dropped it. He tensened up his shoulders and dropped his head next, mousy and frustrated as he looked to the side while his partner approached.

Djimmi took a seat on the side of their (one of many) shared sleeping spots, and placed a large warm hand upon his shoulder. Just like with any, he knew that his little rabbit in particular needed silence and a docile approach during his times of confusion. He kneaded small circle with his thumb, watching while he waited. Eventually, Beppi looked back up to him.

He opened his mouth again, but failed to produce words. Thinking for a few more seconds, he sheepishly brought a hand up, curled it into mimicking a paw, and swiped the side of it against his face while giggling out a giddy little meow.

For a moment, Djimmi looked at him as if he had gone insane again, but couldn’t stop the snort of laughter quivering up from his belly. He took a moment to control himself, shook his head in smitten adoration, and slowly gave Beppi a rather sentimental gaze. 

Just like he had with the kitten, he brought his thumb up to tease a small rub along the clown’s painted cheek, while his other hand gently cupped itself behind his head. Settling his gaze into a half lidded one, he leaned in slowly to purr out another silky, deep melody while Beppi twitched up a restless smile and clumsily gripped his wrists.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, I am open to requests! Leave a comment here or send me an Ask at my tumblr, Socks-on-Parade!


	4. Embrace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, a guiding hand chases away uncertainty.
> 
> A drabble on comforting a nervous soul.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for taking awhile to update, as well as this one being a bit shorter. This was a request from a few people on a blog I follow, so this chapter is for them. :)
> 
> Enjoy!

Djimmi couldn’t understand how Beppi of all people could get the jitters.

The clown was an icon throughout the isles, and a best friend to many a child. He inspired the sleepless caught in drab schedules, and could easily motivate even the grumpiest of stubborn souls to engage in some innocent, free spirited play.

At the carnival, the wicked troubles of the world seemed so far away.

Imagine his surprise then, peeling back the flap to the clown’s secret lair to see Beppi staring at himself in his body mirror (and not the one next to it that was warped and wavy). The bicolored showman was tilting his head while knitting his brows, tapping fingers and shifting between the pads of his feet as if there was a strange, surprising new creature presenting itself to him. He nattered in tongues beneath his breath, clicking  
his teeth and wheezing when something excruciatingly precise caught his eye in his own form. 

It was concerning.

Beppi had always been the sort who reveled in being unconventional. He loved bubbles but hated bubble baths, and spent more time poking fun at himself than he would taking anything seriously. The world was a playground and he was the rambunctious child with dirt on his face and scrapes on his knees. In a bizarrely surreal moment like this, Djimmi caught a snapshot of someone looking quite...unsure of himself.

His approach was silent, keeping out of the line of sight that the mirror cheated with. Beppi naturally caught the presence of red in the large hand suddenly floating off screen in his looking glass, stiffening up under the gentle cupping of his shoulder. His gaze was averted though, and Djimmi caught it glancing rapidly in the opposite direction while the clown’s face remained frozen, set forward towards its reflected self.

Gently, soothingly, he cupped Beppi’s opposite cheek with his free hand, and guided that troubled frown to face his own. Striking golden eyes lazily rolled back to focus on the genie’s, heavy under the furrowed setting of equally colorful brows. They looked at each other in silence, Djimmi keeping his pipe turned politely to the side and Beppi playing with his gloves. They didn’t need words to convey understanding- years of  
friendship and courtship had solidified cues and quirks into a kindred language of their own.

Outside, Beppi was unstoppable. Brave, confident, loud, charming. Gentle, wild, brilliant, insane. He easily adapted into any role within a situation like a chameleon slipping along different branches, for attention and applause were the flies which fed his hunger for attention. Inside in private...even clowns were human. The burden of carrying a world of expecting fans on his shoulders was a heavy task that impressed the magician with how unyielding that gorgeous smile was, for Beppi appeared to take it all in stride. He played, he performed, he told jokes and teased out rapport. Praise was a high unlike any other, and in this joyful and whimsical place, he was the siren which beckoned in the curious. He was the king of fun. He was the icon of pure, unadulterated happiness.

Understandably, it was just as easy to crumple under all the weight of expectations. Beppi cried often when alone or clawing his way around inside Djimmi’s arms. He sometimes skipped meals when nerves of hecklers spun his mind into confusing and rapidly interchanging thoughts. If he failed a routine, he holed himself up in bed until he was able to brood it all out; disappointing a fan was like feeling a knife in his heart.

As childish as he was, it was easy to shrug off the frustrations of others- to know he failed to impress them, however, utterly crippled him.

Djimmi was rubbing the clown’s shoulders as Beppi wheezed into his boyfriend’s thick neck, rumbling out simple questions to tease out the context of what was riling his sensitive, overstimulated little one. He strained to hear the muffled squeak heating up his skin, and sighed softly while tightening his embrace.

Hecklers again, it seemed.  
With his size and prowess, Djimmi picked up Beppi as if he were a stuffed animal. Cradling his distressed sweetheart close, the genie floated silently to their shared bed in the tent, and took a seat on the edge.

In any other circumstance, he’d have some choice words to tease Beppi with for straddling his knee. For now, he was capturing gloved hands in his own to stop the jester from pawing at his own face or to attempt in pushing himself off. Beppi squeaked in protest and wiggled out of clueless rebellion, but ultimately gave in and sunk his head in shame. He was a beloved entertainer, for goodness sakes. He was no wimp.  
Except that he was, and he was beating himself up over dumb insults some edgy teenagers hounded him with throughout the park.

Djimmi allowed Beppi some seconds to wrestle feisty stubbornness out of himself, before he lightly squeezed the restless fingers and twitching palms trapped in his own lightly enclosed fists. He was still silent, allowing Beppi all the time he wanted to let everything run loose and wild in the tornado that were his current emotions. 

They looked at each other again, and Beppi’s tension started to deflate slowly as he exhaled. Djimmi’s heart never could stop its fluttering, every time he felt those long, thin arms stretching to their limits in trying to hug all of him. His gaze turned tender, watching Beppi fiercely pressing his face against the genie’s sturdy chest, nuzzling a white cheek against crimson pecs until he found just the right spot to hear the physical thumping coming from the depths below.

Slowly exhaling up a doting sigh, Djimmi looped one arm around Beppi’s back, locking him in like the bar to a coaster’s cart. His spare hand was now holding his pipe so he could lean in and press a series of intermingled kisses and nuzzles along the divided colors of Beppi’s crown. They sat like that for ages, pressed together and lulled by the peaceful quiet. As the minutes passed under Djimmi’s purring tones and warm caresses, the stinging grip he felt under Beppi’s fingers slowly began to wane. He tilted his head periodically to glance at the clown’s face, nodding blissfully once it finally loosened up enough to settle into a dreaming haze of rest: eyes closed, mouth hidden by the sleeve of an arm now stretching up to hook around the back of warm, thick neck flesh and among the silky softness of his turban...Beppi almost looked asleep, and that was a skill that Djimmi was more than proud to wield.

Eventually, He loosened his hold and let Beppi slip out of his embrace. There was a small smile budding on colorful lips, which was a good start. Djimmi stroked his cheek, mirroring the affectionate expression when a smaller hand moved up to cup his. 

Beppi took a moment to stretch, eyes glossing over as thoughts swam in them again. He slipped off the bed without so much as a pardon to his boyfriend, but the genie didn’t protest as he watched the showman trotting back over to the mirror. Try as he did, Djimmi couldn’t stop himself from getting up to follow a few moments later.

He stood behind Beppi at his full height, nearly towering over the smaller male. It held the reverse reaction, sparking a need for the clown to stand up tall under the protective loom of a gentle giant. Beppi scrutinized himself again, leaning in and touching spots on his face- plucking at an eyebrow or poking himself in the cheek. He slowly spun around while looking at his reflection, playing with his frill and tracing fingers around the diamond patches on his chest. When he met his own gaze again did he freeze up, staring and thinking…

Djimmi had crossed his arms by this point, nodding along and humming at what he saw. Positive affirmations were powerful things, after all. He too was watching the intense gaze Beppi was giving himself, chuckling heartily once the clown snapped out of his stupor and struck a proud pose, hands on his hips while flashing a mighty grin.

There was his little rabbit, all teeth and spring once again.

The genie patted his shoulder, and leaned down to kiss the back of his head once again.

The world wasn’t so scary, when kindness chased away the cruel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, head on over to my tumblr if you have any questions or requests!
> 
> https://socks-on-parade.tumblr.com


	5. Care and Keeping- Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, a little white lie was the best option to resolving an issue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay in updates!
> 
> This one was a request from a fan on my blog- they asked about what Beppi was like on sugar rushes. I also have been growing fond of peoples' interpretations of the Carnival Trio dating together, so I wanted to explore that too. :) This is part 1 out of 3- the next two chapters will be a continuation of this arc.
> 
> Also oh my gosh, there is dialogue in this!

How Beppi managed to pile down so much grease, sugar and fat and **still** be fully operational was beyond Djimmi’s scope of understanding.

It was only noon, and so far he had witnessed the clown down two candied apples after breakfast, a bag of popcorn after Beppi took a spin on his favorite roller coaster, and so far his little rabbit was hopping about with glee, double fisting two different cotton candies of the pink and yellow variety. This was on top of the already sugary breakfast of flapjacks he had reluctantly prepared this morning, for Beppi hardly touched anything that wasn’t slathered in butter and sugar.

The genie floated serenely by his love’s side, keeping a keen eye on the increasing sloppiness of each bounce Beppi took in his happy little stride. Djimmi’s teeth hurt, just watching that bicolored mouth digging into chunks of the air-fluffed sugar that were being alternated between each bite.

“...Are you wanting to go on this one?” He finally spoke up, rolling the pipe in his mouth while pointing at the tunnel of love just around the corner of the fair’s many kiosks. Beppi paused, making a face as he lapped up a stray puff of pink fluff.

“Booooring! I want that one!” He pointed with a closed fist over to the gates of the bumper car rally.

Djimmi’s eyes followed, brows furrowed as a soft sigh escaped him. Beppi normally loved the tunnel...for despite its slowness he had a big hunky fella to snuggle on up to. Djimmi also often tweaked his magic to fiddle with the lights, making every encounter through the dark a spectacular one for his boyfriend and the other fairgoers to enjoy. But not today- Beppi never wanted to slow down, once he started chasing the sweet, sweet high of sugar.

Reluctantly, he nodded and placed his feet on the ground. 

“I will hold those.” He hummed, holding his hands out for the two cones. If he had things his way, they would be finding a new home in another container: the rubbish cans. But, he could never find it in himself to torment his little one in such a manner. Beppi raised his colorful brows, and held them closer to his chest with a petulant pout. Djimmi blinked, but insisted.

“Now.” 

True, a little firmness often put the fear of god in folk. Beppi was the wild outlier.

The clown huffed, turning his stubborn grunt into an ornery squeal as he glared at his treats, stamped his foot into the dirt, and started to take a step back. His eyes boggled when Djimmi stepped closer, as did his own boldness in frantically trying to take bites out of his snacks when large crimson hands clamped around his own.

He squeaked and whined, digging his heels into the sparse cobblestone to fight back as Djimmi lightly pulled him in.

“You are eating too much. Give Djimmi.”

His hands gave a light squeeze, enough to send a message without causing pain. 

Beppi was a terror when he ingested too much junk food, forcing his patient lover to bother tormenting him further with constant appeals of healthy options. Fruits were ok, vegetables were boring...what was the point of eating meats and starches when they weren’t baptized in the delicious trinity of oil, breading and sweet infusions? Beppi didn’t understand why his lover was so stubborn- he had taken candy on rides before! Growling, he yanked back until ultimately giving into the mountain of hexxed muscle patiently waiting for his victory.

It came, as expected, when white gloved hands released the (now bent) cones as he stumbled back and dug his hands in his pockets.

“FINE.” 

Even as he watched his boyfriend stomp up the ramp into the gated arena, Djimmi couldn’t help but conjure a smile. Angry little cutie.

He watched the clown spin his wheels and charge into the fray of fairgoers, chasing victory as fast as he rode on his cravings. It bothered the genie, how reckless his playful little rabbit became when intoxicated under all his heavy gorging. It was like he grew teeth, biting any hand seeking to hold him as he kicked and ran for the nearest strawberry in a nest of radishes.

As he winced from a violent collision in the heart of the chaos, Djimmi perked up. Carrots…

Beppi loved corn, roasted and dripping with sour cream and oils. Miniscule as its benefits were when untouched, it was at least a vegetable that was spared the oil pit and the sugar shakers. Djimmi had tried mashing cauliflower into Beppi’s baked potatoes, replacing candied apples with naturally sweeter varieties, and had found ways to honey glaze steaks and chops to entice the clown to dig into something more crucial to his nutritional needs. Many other ideas from the past came to his mind, and his frown grew heavier as he recalled each attempt struggling more than the last. It was difficult, trying to satisfy a picky eater.

He also hadn’t realized he had been daydreaming, until Beppi had snatched both of his treats from out of the genie’s hands. Bloodlust satisfied, he strode away to the next contender while licking down what his belly purred for. 

Djimmi followed behind him like a growing shadow. 

By the time Beppi had reached the spinning teacups, his tongue was already lolled out as his brain spun from the bursts of adrenaline flooding his nerves. Djimmi dove to catch the rejected cones as the clown zoomed through the stanchions and hopped onto the platform, already choosing his seat while his wild eyes spun from the pounding rush. He turned around and peeked out from the booth, waving to his boyfriend who had his arms crossed.

The genie puffed away on his pipe, sighing as he raised a hand to wave.

He paused for a moment, pulling the piece from his lips to study it as excited guests nudged passed him to clamber up into their own seats. Perhaps he was no better either, sucking down tobacco as if it were going out of style. As he watched the cups kicked to life in the beginnings of lazy rotations, Djimmi crooked a finger and rubbed at his chin.

If he was going to try and control his lover tonight, then he needed to be fair to himself too. He floated to the nearest rubbish bin, tapping the ashes into the inky depths while humming softly in response to Beppi’s rowdy squeals of joy.

Damned ride, taking his job away from him…

When on his binges, Beppi put a heavy strain on their relationship until he sobered up.

Djimmi turned his back from the ride, tucking his hands into the gold stitched pockets on his vest while watching the crowds mingling about the fairgrounds. Fellas lingering at stalls to order for their ladies, who cooed and pointed at the various lights and signs. Children, playing with wooden swords and hats they had won from the stall games or dancing around with the same fatty snacks on sticks or in sacks. His tired eyes skimmed the sea of faces, lingering on a young mother in a sun hat kneeling before her sniffling son beside one of the food stands.

The little boy stood in his sunday best, mourning the loss of spilled iced cream slowly painting the dirt and stone beneath his shined up shoes. His mother hushed his cries with a lullaby of a whisper, sweeping her gloved hand through his mop of sun bleached hair while crouching in her own summer dress. By instinct, the genie was compelled to approach; he already had thirteen spells in mind to help conjure up wonders that could chase those horrid tears away. But, he stopped as soon as he took one step, watching her reaching into her purse to pull out something else. 

He blinked, fascinated by the way she presented an orange to her son. Naturally, the boy furrowed his brows harder and shoved away the fruit. But, the child’s eyes lingered in growing curiosity while her fingers daintily peeled away the vibrant husk to reveal the stringy skin of the juicy flesh beneath. She turned the sphere in her hand, cooing out a quip Djimmi couldn’t pick up as she placed the fruit upon the cone still clutched in the child’s hand. The boy blinked, long having forgotten his fussing as he looked over the treat, then to his mother, and then began to giggle and point at the silly combination. His hair was ruffled again as he poked at the orange, earning a small giggle from his parent as he tried to bite into the joined slices.

Djimmi was awestruck. How hadn’t he thought of such a thing before?

The only danger was the game of absolutes. Beppi operated under the mind of a wild child, but he was also not too much a fool that he let on. The genie needed to tread carefully.

He perked up when something small crashed into his back, though his suspicions were cleared when colorful arms looped around to try wrapping themselves fully around his thinner waist. Djimmi chuckled softly and fluidly rotated so that he could watch that sweet face nuzzling into his abs and looking up at him with a slurred grin. The moment was fleeting, however, as Beppi was equally quick to shove off of his boyfriend the moment he saw those big arms looming in to trap him. He stumbled back, tipped his hat and poked out his tongue with a cackle before he was already racing through the crowd (and knocking a few folk off-kilter, much to the genie’s dismay). Djimmi apologized formally to the confused, and took flight again to chase his rabbit down.

He facepalmed himself the moment he saw Beppi leaning against an ice cream cart, winking and cocking a finger gun at the well meaning vendor who provided what he demanded. The dark skinned youth paused with a wheeze when he noticed a large shadow casting itself over him, but Beppi snatched the ice cream faster than Djimmi’s outreached hand.

The magician rubbed at his eyes again, and patted the bewildered lad on the back.

“He is on a diet.”

He drifted away from the cart, roving his gaze once again through the masses while he tapped the back of his pipe upon his knuckles. The urge to smoke up was eating at him, but his resolve was resolute. No smoking. No junk food. It was a fair trade in the face of negotiation.

Locating his sweetheart was easier than sending a bull through a china shop- Beppi’s loudness was pinpoint. Djimmi found him lobbing baseballs at one of the game stands, using so much power behind his swings that the balls should have been in flame during their flight. The game attendant was cowering behind a stack of boxes, peeking out nervously as the clown snickered and lapped at his frozen treat.

Beppi’s next throw was hilariously off-kilter when he found himself being yanked back by his sweet-clasped wrist.

“HEY!” He shrieked, not even bothering to watch where the ball went as he struggled against Djimmi’s fist.

“Enough sweets.” The genie replied sternly while squeezing hard enough this time that his heart sank from the yelp of pain sounding from the clown. Beppi let go, but only after crushing the cone and watching in horror as his snack tumbled to the earth below. In a spine chilling moment, Djimmi swore he could see the same look of ruin in Beppi’s eyes as the clown panted and shivered, looking down at the broken food and slowly up at the one he considered his trusted suitor.

They shared a tense moment of silence along with the gathering crowd. Swallowing air to catch up to his thoughts, Djimmi looked at the splattered ice cream and then to the wild look in Beppi’s face. Frowning, he reached out his hand in truce, only to have it smacked away with a growling squeal to follow.

“YOU NEVER LET ME HAVE WHAT I WANT!” The clown cried out, stomping his foot down onto the mess before he kicked some up; Djimmi shivered too as dirt and cold dairy splattered onto his bare stomach. He sputtered out something even his tongue couldn’t make sense of, reaching out again as he watched the love of his life breaking away once again.

~*~

It was best to give a bit of space between them, after the tirade. Djimmi slunk away from the stand with his metaphorical tail between his legs, avoiding the eyes of fascinated guests as he trudged his way through to a quiet space. Once he found a bench in front of the Tunnel, the genie took a seat and rubbed at his face again. The swans were out in full force today, honking at each other, the passing boats and the giving hands tossing them their daily crumbs and popcorn. Such beautiful creatures in form, and yet they sounded so fierce and aggressive…

Just like the owner of the parasol now poking him in the shoulder.

“Hey, beefcake.”

Another poke got him to react, and he felt his cheeks flushing when Bon Bon quirked a brow at him. She pulled back her laced umbrella, placing both hands on top of the curved handle while she clicked the tip against the ground. When he couldn’t formulate a response did she huff. Then, her lips curved into that twisted grin she saved for only the special few.

“Another lover’s fight?” She giggled. “Big scary magic man can’t control one little clown?”

She had been expecting a look of ferocity to bubble out of him any point now, just like any other time when she teased him and Beppi. 

The trio ran this island with their colorful fists, having long shed their territorial bloodlusts in favor of finding truce where the money lay. And, in time, old spats and rivalries became laughed at over mugs of cocoa and card games late into the night. His heart was very much still stitched to Beppi’s, but it was a more subtle affair that he spent with the Baroness; she was simply a work of art in her own right, beautiful and dominating. They all agreed to go down together wherever emotions went, but he knew that reputation was more important to her- Bon Bon kept her flings with the two behind closed doors. Right now, with her scrutinizing Djimmi’s face, the story was a bit different.

She took a seat beside him, placing her hand upon his own.

“Cheer up, you mushy oaf. Beppi’s...Beppi.”

The genie huffed, turning his palm to let her smaller hand rest upon it. She batted her lashes despite the fun she had teasing him, turning her head with a graceful coo when he lifted his hand to kiss her knuckles.

“As I was saying,” She hummed after retrieving her digits, “Beppi is a little brat, but he hardly hold grudges.” The Baroness quirked a brow. “What stunt did you pull this time?”

Djimmi wheezed, playing with his fingers while his eyes averted to the side. 

“The Great Djimmi...broke his frozen treat.”

Bon Bon squinted at him for a moment, before she broke out in riotous laughter. Djimmi returned the favor of squinting back, his cheeks burning hotter the longer she belted out her cackles. 

“You took candy from a big baby pitching a fit,” She wheezed while carefully rubbing her eyes, “And _you’re_ the one feeling bad?” Bon Bon nudged his shoulder as another snort broke out of her, causing her to laugh harder. Djimmi rubbed the back of his neck, not finding this at all humorous.

“Let me guess...he’s been binging on crap all day.” She had a feeling her suspicions were correct, the more Djimmi sank his shoulders in his hunch. The Baroness rolled her eyes, but her smile was still present as she rubbed his forearm.”You big softie. You’re better restrained than I am.”

It was no secret among the isles that out of the three of them, Beppi and Bon Bon feuded the most. But, the deeper feelings beneath their conflicting natures was much more protected from public scrutiny. Beppi loved the challenge of trying to please her, and in return she pushed all of his buttons because dammit, Bonnie loved her men being so bold and determined. It was terribly attractive, as much as Djimmi’s patience was plucked at every single time he had to watch them together, fighting like snakes and mongooses but sighing contently when blows became dances for dominance when they tangoed and kissed in private. Bon Bon loved her men just as sweet and doting as well, which was why she was sparing Djimmi her usual bullying sense of humor.

“Want me to deal with him?” She drolled, already formulating a good ass kicking or two to whip Beppi back into shape. 

Djimmi rubbed at his chin again, remembering what he saw earlier. He snapped his fingers as he grinned, looking at her with a hopeful gaze.

“The Great Djimmi has an idea.”

He pulled her in to whisper into her ear, and the more that Bon Bon listened, the more she began to twist that devilish grin again.

~*~

With her help, he had procured a rather large bowl of coins. Edible coins, courtesy of the candied queen’s flare for all things sweet. She lingered far behind the genie as they both wandered through the many pathways through the carnival, keeping an eye out for the intoxicated clown. Just like with everything else in his chaotic life, Beppi’s penchant for subtlety painted him as a glaring target among the colorful world he camouflaged himself into. They both paused at the soda bar by the shooting gallery, where the jester was slumped against the counter, one root beer in hand with three empty mugs stacked beside him. The barkeep shrugged has he looked them over and glanced at the clown, keeping to his cleaning duties as he was paid to do.

Djimmi hesitated to wander over, but Bon Bon wasn’t as prim. She stepped on up and took a seat, yanking the mug from out of Beppi’s fingers. She sharpened her gaze while taking a chug, challenging his protest the moment fighting words began to drip out of his mouth. 

The clown looked incredibly offended...and also absolutely smashed from the intensity of his sugar crash. He groaned and slumped his head right back against the puffy sleeve of his suit, glaring at her while sticking out his tongue.

“You suck…”

“Suck what.” The Baroness challenged him, forcing Beppi to bite his lip.

She slammed the mug onto the counter, dropping a coin purse beside the barkeep while she leaned in.

“Listen here, you big wimp. If you’re going to shove garbage food down your throat, invite me.” She purred at his reluctant nod. Bon Bon also loved unhealthy treats; she chose confections as her medium for a reason. She reached out to knock that stupid hat off of his dumb head, giving it a gentle pet afterwards. “I can beat you anyway, and you know it.”

“Shhhhhhut up...” Beppi must have had a pounding headache right now. How she knew? He wasn’t telling any terrible jokes to press her patience.

But, he was more than tolerant of letting her stroke him as if he were her little poodle, watching her with a hazy glare with equal parts interest. She was so pretty….especially so when she downed soda like a sailor.

Djimmi took this moment of peace to sidle on up, taking a seat on the other side of Beppi while setting the bowl down onto the counter. He played the role of the oblivious spectator, munching away on the edible money she had made while the Baroness distracted Beppi with her scolding. His presence worked, much to his relief.

Just as they had planned, Beppi turned his head in an act of rebellion to her usual teases, focusing on watching his boyfriend eat with a curious gaze. Having Bon Bon for a second lover, however, had its own terms- she disliked being ignored. But, in an instance like this, the sly vixen was very much content to see her favorite prey perking up his ears and falling into the trap she had spun.

“Hey, you little brat.” She slapped at the clown’s shoulder, only to receive a small grunt as Beppi’s attention was now tuned to the bright little discs. He lifted his head, flicking his tongue out and slipping it across his painted lips like a vibrant snake tasting the air. They smelled sweet, whatever they were.

“Um, excuse me. Airhead, I am speaking. Address me.” Bon Bon snapped, smacking him again while winking at Djimmi. The genie took the hint to pick up another coin, slipping it into his mouth while looking down at his lover. He then nodded in her direction.

Beppi took the cue, but only to turn his head to stick his tongue back out at her before he was looking again into the bowl.

“What are those?” He twittered, already starting to sober up. He couldn’t turn down an opportunity for more sugar, withdrawals be damned.

“Candy coins.” Djimmi replied simply, picking another up. He munched particularly slow this time, to let the sounds hit the clown’s ears. Beppi raised his brows, sitting up further.

Djimmi often expressed his reluctance to eat candies, finding many of them to be far too sweet for his liking. If he was so casually eating what sounded like hard, crunchy candies...then they must be that damned good.

Beppi was clawing on the genie’s arm, leaning in closer to observe the bowl’s contents. They were slightly varied in sizes, but had a brilliant golden hue that candy coins were known for; there was even the lighter ring in the center for the official stamps that real coins would have. Just as he was reaching out to grab one did another hand sweep in to smack at his.

He hissed and yanked it back, trying to slap Bon Bon in return. They always swatted at each other- it was nothing new to the poor barkeep caught up in the trio’s conversation, nor did any passerby bat an eye to them.

“Quit it! I want some.” The clown whined.

Bon Bon growled at Beppi.

“Then you should ask first, you dumb animal. I made those.”

Beppi stalled for a moment, rubbing at his sore head. 

“Ffffppppt.~”

“DON’T YOU BLOW RASPBERRIES AT ME-”

Djimmi sighed, lowering the next coin from his lips.

He tapped on Beppi’s back, offering it with a small smile.

“You want?”

Oh, of course. Beppi looked at him, then to the coin, and back up to Djimmi. Djimmi never lied to him; if these things were truly amazing, then the clown believed him one hundred and ten percent. He snatched the sweet from his hand, looking at it while licking his teeth. Djimmi and Bon Bon glanced at each other as the clown began crunching on the little morsel.

It was fairly sweet, but most of the initial burst lingered on the outside. Crunchy as it was, the more he chewed, the more subdued and earthy the flavor was. Making a face, Beppi swallowed the candy, and looked into the bowl again. The few seconds of bliss he felt from the initial sugar rush spurred him again to retrieve another coin. This time he licked one side of it, confirming that it was indeed sweet like a candy should be, but once he chewed on it did he feel the flavor ebbing away again under a slightly rich tang.

“Eugh, what gives?” He squeaked, furrowing his brows at the genie. Djimmi just smiled, and nudged the bowl over.

“Special candies, just for you.” He wiggled his fingers to give an air of mystery to the whole presentation. 

Beppi widened his eyes, jumping in his seat when Bonnie pinched him from the other side. This time she was leaning against the bar while snickering.

“Correct. Because you’re a little piggy who can’t hold his buzz. I made you something you gotta eat a lot of so you don’t crash like a big baby.” She ruffled the top of his head again, much to Beppi’s swatting dismay. “Think you can handle the challenge, tough guy?”

Oh, he’d show her. He’d show the both of them that they were crazy. Beppi knew his limits very well!

He crossed his arms, ignoring her for the time being in favor of challenging the one soul he knew that often failed spectacularly in trying to hold secrets.

“What...do you call a man riding on his bluff?” He groaned out- his vision was still spinning a bit. Djimmi smiled innocently, fighting to keep it inconspicuous.

“Ha. What is a bluffing man called?”

Beppi gripped his vest while trying his hardest to formulate a menacing grin in his current stupor.

“A dead one.”

He was too smart for them, and he knew it well. Stubbornly, he continued to eat the coins, while his main squeeze and secret sweetheart exhaled with relief and shook hands behind his back.

They’d probably never tell him that he was eating yellow carrots that had been dunked in sugar water.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have any questions or comments? Feel free to check out my blog! I also have a server now.~ Refer to the bottom notes in Chapter 1 for more details. :)


	6. Care and Keeping Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How to bathe your clown.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the long delay on this one- the lack of energy and drive lately has been a struggle. But, in time all things pass. :)
> 
> As with the last chapter, this one has dialogue! Yay!
> 
> I have really been loving the idea of the Carnival Trio just casually dating each other, so here is another chapter featuring that! The ball pit idea was a headcanon joke from one of the readers in my Discord, to which I honored their idea in here! I hope you enjoy it, bud!

“A bath?!” Beppi sputtered, twisting himself around in the genie’s embrace.

Convincing him to eat carrots had been a herculean feat of impeccable planning, but keeping a wily clown clean was another olympic task. The genie nodded simply while carrying his boyfriend, bridal-style, back to the cozy nest of private tents the showman had long dug out for himself. 

“You are covered in dust.”

It was almost painful, holding back his smile. Djimmi kept his gaze set forward and his neck stiff, unable to be swayed no matter how much those gloved paws pushed and tugged at his face. Behind them, Bon Bon twirled her parasol behind her shoulder despite being bathed in the shadow created by the massive genie. It was a cosmetic effect- she was reminded to keep her smile poised and innocent as she followed.

She made eye contact with the frantic captive, winking and puckering a kiss at him once Beppi had managed to claw his way over Djimmi’s shoulder. He paused, knitted his brows in agitation and blew a raspberry once more in her direction before he was yanked back down into red sturdy arms.

“She will not be saving you.” 

Beppi made a face of disgust, while Bon Bon grinned cruelly and gave off a little wiggle. She took to walking alongside the genie while he carried their little darling clown to his bubbly doom, feeling her grin creeping higher and wider beneath her crazed eyes the more that she listened to his protests. In public too, tsk tsk. Such a naughty boy.

She flicked Beppi in the ankle, snickering once he squealed and jerked in surprise. 

“If we dunk you into the ball pit, would that shut you up?”

The effect was instantaneous. Beppi froze in his struggles, perking up to glare down at her, testing her authenticity in such a bold-faced statement. In all reality, he had the damn thing set up in the playroom tent directly connected to the main one. He could play in the stupid pen all day, whenever he wanted and yet her offering a sacrifice seemed to charge it up further as an eden away from all the unfair torments of the world.

She gave an apologetic side glance to Djimmi, who grimaced down at her; he hated trying to fish things out from the bottom of that colorful abyss. But, Beppi seemed fully invested with taking her up on her challenge, like he always did whenever she was around to push his buttons. It was a classic game of cat and mouse, and she was the clever little squeaker driving him mad within the walls.

Reluctantly, the genie nodded to confirm her offer, though his doubts lifted at the giddy twinkle of joy in the clown’s bright eyes.

~*~

The first thing that Djimmi did once he entered the glaringly colorful space was to position himself right at the edge of the blue-bordered pool. He nudged his knee against the red wall, testing its durability as always while the impatient jester within his embrace wiggled about like a spastic ferret- Beppi loved what came next. Thankful for his everlasting patience, Djimmi chuffed out a small hum of amusement as he began to lurch back on his heels, cradling Beppi to the side like a sack of flour as he wound back his power. The clown tucked himself in with a joyous shudder, squealing out a cackle of pure adrenaline once he was launched straight up into the air like a round from a cannon. He flailed for a moment, locked his sights onto one ball in the rainbow mass, and immediately flipped and stretched his arms out into a poised dive, fit for a champion diver...only to kick his legs and clutch his sides in snorting giggles as he crashed, right onto his back, right upon the surface mass of the plastic balls which slowly swallowed him up into their clacking, bouncing depths.

Djimmi looped an arm around the edge while resting his chin upon the other, shaking his head while exhaling a dreamy sigh. Such a little show off...He blinked lazily while slowly batting a few of the plastic orbs around with his fingers, but drew his hand back once a burst of pressure from below pushed a section of balls up in a startled spike. Like a shark, meandering below the surface...the genie chuckled, and tapped his fingers against a yellow ball which sat slightly higher than the other colorful balls around it. Moments later, Beppi’s head popped out, comically bouncing a few of them off of his head. He playfully snapped at the fingers but never once made contact with his teeth.

“Such danger.” Djimmi feigned a shiver while holding his hands up in mock fear. “I did not know of crocodiles in this pool.”

Beppi cooed to himself, cruel in his visage while he sank back down into the camouflage of the pit. Djimmi watched him slinking about beneath the surface for a bit longer, watching trails and small mounds forming from wherever the clown pushed up from his digging movements. Such innocence...in all of his years alive, he still had no idea how to cling onto the childish whimsy he once had in his youth. And here Beppi was, a fully grown adult, deeply entrenched in a crawling madness manifested from his soul contract and just having the time of his life among spherical plastic as if this ball pit was the best thing he’s had all day. In a way, the situation of it all tugged at Djimmi’s heart- he was a caretaker as much as he was a suitor. He loved this insane little madman with all his heart, and the circus was home to the unconventional.

He gladly took upon the mantle of protecting what Beppi had forgotten, while preserving what his happiness stood for. The world needed more laughter.

A tap on his back jostled him from his thoughts. Djimmi glanced down to see Bon Bon looking up at him, quirking a brow while her eyes slowly roved to the side at the ludicrous display. But, she too smiled, light as it was on her proud features; she may have been a longtime rival to the bouncy dingus in the pit, but over time Beppi had grown on her as well...in a different way. Only she had the rights to torment him.

Because she, in her own tyrannical curse, loved him too.

But, as always, pride spoke first. She sighed and shook her head to play it cool, holding up the towel she had brought with her from the bathroom situated in yet another small, connected tent to Beppi’s bizarre home. She and Djimmi looked at it for a moment, then to each other before he broke under the growing smugness of her malicious grin.

She never said the bath wasn’t still coming after.

The candied queen quietly took her leave, leaving the genie alone with a pool of brightly colored balls and an ornery clown skulking beneath it all. There was a great reluctance in how he reached out again- this was never an easy task. Beppi was as stubborn as he was brilliant.

Djimmi dipped his hand back into the masses, swirling the balls around as if he were stirring an elixir in a pot. Once again, the depths below reacted to his intrusion; it didn’t take long for his nerves to bristle at the feeling of smaller fingers reaching up to curl around his own.

“Out you come.” He crooned, giving the arm attached a gentle tug. A disobedient whine grunted out from below.

“The pit will be here. Come.”

He felt a tug in retaliation, which only knitted his brows. The genie huffed and pulled harder. He managed to yank Beppi halfway out of the pit, much to the clown’s frustrations.

“No fair! You’re stronger than me!”

“Yes.”

Beppi stuck his tongue out at him.

“Ten more minutes.”

“No.”

The clown growled, already starting to wiggle his butt to try and wedge himself back into his hiding place. Djimmi simply raised his arm to completely pull Beppi up and out.

“You are still dusty.”

He kept his face straight as realization dawned on those colorful features; Beppi had been had. Like any sensible manchild, he was not too fond of that. He snarled and thrashed in his dangling hold, threatening to kick that dumb hunk’s face if he could just draw his knee in high enough...ultimately, he relented and whined while the genie shifted him back into a proper snuggle. Beppi resisted that too, planting his hands on that broad barreled chest to try and push himself off with an agitated grunt.

“But that’s dusty too!” He pointed an accusatory finger at the ball pit, as if that was sound cause to shift the blame entirely onto it. Djimmi squinted at the pool in question and grimaced.

“...that will be cleaned out next.”

The clown, thinking he was so clever, gasped and widened his gaze once he was had a second time. Growingly increasingly frustrated, he began to claw at Djimmi’s chest as he was carried away from the spot.

“No! You can’t!” He tried pushing back again, resorting to attempt a climb up and over Djimmi’s shoulder once that failed. “You’ll disturb them!”

Djimmi paused midstep. Blinking, he glanced up to look at the backside of his boyfriend.

“...them?”

Beppi drummed his fingers against the genie’s back, biting on his lower lip. He didn’t want to have to resort to detailing his projects, but…

“The eggs! They’re nesting.”

He squeaked when he was peeled off of the genie’s shoulder and held out by the pits as if he were a cat. Djimmi scrutinized him for a long moment, as if to decipher whether or not Beppi was actually being serious.

“You have...eggs, in there?” He looked ill at the revelation. Beppi nodded earnestly, wiggling his legs and hips to try and shimmy out of firm hold. 

“Duh! You can’t see them? You need better eyes.” He crossed his arms and huffed. Adamant, the clown watched the confused magician turn to actually look back at the goddamned ball pit, though he began to grow more restless the longer that Djimmi stared. “...The **penguin** eggs! Honestly.” Of course, because that made total flipping sense now, obviously. 

Djimmi now directed his confused staring back to his insane little rabbit, who was employing a rather impressive workout with fighting his arms right now.

“...penguins do not…” He gave up. Beppi’s hopeful pout twisted back into a nervous scowl, baring his teeth while he grappled at Djimmi’s hands once they brought him back flush against his own chest to be carried more snugly. In fact, the genie could definitely feel the thundering anxiety pounding through the clown’s veins from where his hands gripped, keeping Beppi trapped in a firm snuggle as he stepped into the bathroom. It was more of a toss forward than a proper dismount, but he made quick haste to take his leave and man the door; after all the attempts he faced before in cleaning Beppi, all ended as well as putting a cat in that bathtub. It was time now for the big guns to take over.

And they sported candied stripes.

Beppi froze up in place as his eyes locked with Bon Bon’s. She had her arms crossed while taking sentry to the filled tub beside her, to which she had already tossed in plenty of innocent looking toys amongst the flurry of bubbles foaming up past the brim. The Baroness wasted no time in grabbing the folded towel from a side table, tossing it at him and giving the doomed bastard no time to recover before a wet rag was also lobbed his way.

“Here. Get to it.”

His reflexes were sharp; that she could accept. For all his stupid goofiness, Beppi was a rather seasoned athlete of sorts, toned and spry from all his days of dancing and climbing. She’ll give him credit for that, with a slow quirk of a fine plucked brow as a soft coo escaped her.

Cheeks burning, Beppi snorted and gripped the towels closer to his chest. The second he opened his mouth to protest was the moment she silently yanked the candy striped shotgun out from behind her back, cocking it as his hands suddenly seemed to lose their grip on anything and his zipper may have well could have turned into a rubik’s cube.

“Ack- look away, at least!” He squeaked while frantically gripping at the fabric around his chest. Bon Bon rolled her eyes, unimpressed.

“Please, I’ve seen it.”

She was the cat who definitely had him by the tongue now- the way his pupils tightened told her he couldn’t deny it in this space that Djimmi was the only attractive thing he chased after. There was a reason why he had been drawn to her too- while Djimmi soothed his fears, Bon Bon challenged his desires. And in return, she had something to toy with that also made her feel...excited, to be challenged. Madness, in the end, was a very strange and complex feeling.

The three all needed each other in ways unexplained, but the emotions and reasons were all there, deep in the language of their eyes.

She held his gaze a moment longer, before she respected his wish. The Baroness turned around, tapping along the barrel of her weapon as she listened to the fumbling and grunting behind her. Indeed, she had seen all sides of Beppi at this point. The agitating, exhausting childish fire he revved his engine with...and the determined, heart-on-the-sleeve honest fella who just wanted to make others smile. And in a way, a strange and crazy way that was crazier to her in even saying it aloud...it worked. For all the times that Beppi shoved his way in Djimmi’s arms, Bon had found herself embraced among soft and colorful fabric while smelling the striking sweetness of funnel cake and cotton candy.

She hadn’t realized her gaze had grown soft as she waited. Djimmi was a sweetheart too, even if he was too soft and yielding. That frustrated her too, but he always did his best. He cared far too much. It almost made her feel embarrassed for how hard she was on the world. In a way, Bon Bon needed him too. His embraces were also divine, soothing and filled with wisdom and promise. 

Her two wild and strange boys...what a paradox they both were. They were lucky to have her.

She waited until she heard the verbal cue to turn, following the chuffing to see the clown again. Truth be told, as much as she salivated over Djimmi’s muscle, there was something admirable in a lean frame that refused to let a terrible diet ruin it. Bepp’s skin was soft and rosey behind that cursed suit, lean in muscle but the definitions were definitely there if he flexed in the right places. The power was definitely noticeable, whenever those hands got ahold of her-

And there was that god damn face.

Bon Bon face palmed herself.

“For pete’s sake...the makeup too, genius!”

It was jarring, seeing him standing there like a shaking rat, gripping the towel covering his decency while still sporting that ridiculous makeup and crazy applications that gave him his cartoonish appeal. It also took every last synapse of control within her to prevent Bon Bon from doubling over in laughter at the downright offended look Beppi managed to dig up as he stood there like a complete dork in front of her.

“Can’t you just wash the suit? I’m fine!” He protested, clinging to the last layer of his pride while fidgeting in his spot. He was pulling out every last trick out of the hat to win this fight, and if he had just been with Djimmi for the evening, then he certainly would have been strutting to bed with that victory.

But, alas, he had Bon Bon advancing in on his little game.

The Baroness didn’t play by his rules, and that unsettled him at times. She was already pushing down her annoyance in place of an amused, almost flirtatious smile. She let out an amused little chuckle, slowly approaching him. Naturally, he took a few steps back. Just as she had planned it.

“Forget the suit. I like what I see without it.”

It wasn’t a lie, really. Call her crazy, but it was true. There was something attractive about him in his playful, unique mindset. He had always marched to the beat of his own drum. And as a woman who thrived on order and having her own way planned out...he always threw a wrench in her cogs. It fascinated her. Plus, seeing him outside of his suit was a rare treat.

She slowly closed in towards one of his sides, which in turn angled the direction in which he was backpedaling. Pleased, she persisted. Bon Bon placed her hand on his arm, batting her lashes.

“I love my men...glistening.”

Just as she had hoped, Beppi took the bait instantly. Not one to deny his own natural drives, the wily male blinked and conjured up a dopey grin. Glistening...she liked her fellas flexing their stuff? It was a shame that in his twitterpated moment of interest, Beppi had confused the word with “rippling”. Same thing. Beaches and hunk and muscles. There _was_ the boardwalk right outside the carnival, after all.

Tapping his fingers together, the clown thought for a moment before tightening his form to impress her. He stood up to his full height and puffed out his chest, hesitating so that he could find a proper suave tone.

“Oh...you do.~”

The Baroness nodded, roving her hand up his arm, dusting it over his shoulder and dragging itself downwards until it was right and centered in the middle of his chest. He tapped her fingers against the ribs below, taking a moment to enjoy the soft, light dusting of hair on the skin as she leaned in to give a slow, sultry nod.

And then she pushed him right into the bathtub.

Djimmi had almost levitated a book from off the bookshelf as he kept sentry at the door, but dropped it halfway as his concentration broke from the screech and the loud splash that followed it from the other side. The genie froze up for a moment, but resisted. Don’t go in…

Bon Bon always insisted that he exercised more firmness with his lover...and, well, hers too. Her too. Dating two people at once was interesting when it came to endearments. But, he remained resolute in his decision, reluctantly rocking on his heels and straining out a whistle as his brain sleazily honed in on every sploosh of water, every snarl and whine and squeaking of fingers scrambling against the porcelain rim of the tub…

He gritted his teeth. Hot damn, it sounded like someone was being interrogated in there. Djimmi could feel sweat beading at the edges of his turban. His eyes wrenched shut as a soft whimper hit his ears.

Stay committed to the plan…

After he silently counted to the agreed-upon number in his head did Djimmi find too much satisfaction in pivoting on his feet to tear his way into the bathroom, pausing at the entrance once his eyes registered everything going on before him.

Despite the imagery he had built up of a live drowning going on in here, the chaos had all but faded within those impressive span of seconds. Bon Bon had pulled up a chair to sit next to the edge, using the cloth from earlier to slowly, almost...dotingly, wipe the smearing makeup off of the defeated clown’s face as Beppi slumped to the side and kept his chin rested upon the rim. The Baroness was speaking quietly to him, keeping her voice in a coo- a tone and octave Djimmi never once had heard her reach. It almost sounded motherly, a thought that would have amused the genie if that sentiment wasn’t already endearing in what he was seeing. She alternated in wiping away the paint and cleaning the rag below the blanket of bubbles in the hot waters below. Once she was finished, the Baroness placed her hand upon his cheek and must have told a soft joke of her own, for a small huff sounded from the rather groggy clown who managed the tiniest of defeated smiles.

Her eyes caught Djimmi’s, pleased as always in her successes but with an additional layer of doting sweetness to her title as she continued tending to him. Transfixed, Djimmi watched her carefully peel off the skull cap once hidden by the paint, pulling it away from the vivid red curls and running her fingers through the rarely seen bed of hair. Beppi grunted and wrenched his eyes shut, slowly pulling off the prosthetics enhancing the cartoonish illusion of his clown persona; without them, his face was sweet and familiar- a reminder of the human that was still there, under all the insanity amplifying his childhood dream.

Once she was confident in her efforts, the Baroness pushed herself up from her seat and approached the genie. She hummed out a single soft laugh, stood up on the tips of her heels and placed a small peck on Djimmi’s face before taking her leave to the lounge. He saw her off and effortlessly took her place in the chair while reaching out for a sponge.

“I’m sorry…” Beppi slurred, lazily blinking as he looked down at the bright fake eyebrows, the false lashes and extended nose prosthetic in his hand. Without all of his colors and his enhancements, he felt so...boring. Djimmi was at least thankful that Beppi never committed to his crazed, reckless magic until he was fully in costume. The little top hat that he wore actually was the seal that activated his magic when paired with his iconic suit; at least the Devil had good taste in headwear.

“Why are you sorry?” The genie hummed as he gently scrubbed along the soft skin of the clown’s neck and upper back. Beppi furrowed his real brows (cute and feathery as they were) and sighed. 

“That I am so difficult…” he whined, and wrenched his cursed golden eyes shut. “I just...it’s hard…”

Djimmi frowned, and set down the sponge. 

“I know.” 

He placed his large hands on the clown’s warm cheeks, tilting his head up as a prompt; Beppi followed it. Opening his eyes, the clown looked up to see a tender smile settled on his lover’s face. Djimmi chuckled as he moved one hand to run it through that soft mop of curls he loved so much.

“Is that not why I love you?” 

Beppi blinked, wordless. Djimmi poked him playfully on his real nose, finding the pointed tip on the smaller feature to be just as endearing as the prosthetic one that comically stuck out. 

“I am old. Fire keeps my heart warm.” He grinned, sheepish at how tacky that must have sounded. Fortunately, the raspberry he heard after confirmed it. They both shared a moment of snickering laughter together, before he jumped at the hot water being playfully splashed onto his lap. An apology was given in the form of Beppi pushing himself up just enough to accept the kiss Djimmi had leaned down to offer.

The rest of the session was spent in a silent truce, as Djimmi read one of his books and occasionally removing his reading glasses to defog them while Beppi played out a pirate’s adventure with the bath toys left for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, feel free to check out my tumblr for any questions, comments or simple curiosity!  
> www.socks-on-parade.tumblr.com


	7. Care and Keeping Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A drabble on why clowns don't make the best slumber party guests.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooooo sorry this took a while for an update. Been very busy lately. Enjoy!
> 
> This might be the end for awhile where Bon Bon makes an appearance, heh. Let me know in a comment (or via directions at the end notes) what you think. :)
> 
> Beppi is also very lucky that Djimmi is the one here taking all his sleeping tics in stride.

After the tub was drained and the chill of the air began to prickle at the clown’s skin did Djimmi offer a towel. On some occasions he politely glanced away. Others, such as this one, he took a more intimate approach.

Sensing the lack of fight in Beppi’s form, the genie unrolled the roughened fabric and held it out in a silent invitation. He kept his eyes above the rim and his smile encouraging, which thankfully sent the right notion. Beppi was slumped against the edge again, yawning into his arm. He groggily looked up at his hunk of a magician and hummed to himself before ultimately pushing himself up using arms that felt more like wimp noodles after the hot soak. He rubbed at his face while Djimmi patted down the upper half of his body and accepted the towel so that he could dab away the remaining suds and droplets among more private areas. The seriousness of the tender moment broke upon feeling a smaller towel suddenly ruffling through his hair; the clown snorted and cackled, giving the crimson magician a light elbow to the belly before he carefully stepped out of the tub.

Djimmi’s smile was unwavering as he took the nudge in stride. A hit from that slim form felt more like a light pap of a kitten’s paw, though in reality he had seen the full extent of the clown’s pitching power when out at the game stalls...or wallops.

He lightly placed his hand on the small of his little rabbit’s back, nudging him in a guiding silence while taking a moment to marvel at the soft cream tone; the theories fans had of being part balloon or completely bicolored amused him, but Djimmi was blessed in being one of the few souls alive who knew the true answer. He remained behind the sleepy clown, shepherding him out of the bathroom addition to the tent and weaving him through the minefield of beanbag chairs, tables of assorted items and other pieces of furniture in the main lounging area of the private big top. For a moment, he debated on taking Beppi back to the playroom area, but grimaced at the memory of having to fish out the jester the last time he had fallen asleep in that dreaded ball pit. Tonight, that simply won’t do.

Bon Bon was sitting at the edge of the massive king sized bed when they both reached the private area. With one leg primly hooked over the other, she had long shed her outing gloves in order to carefully file at manicured nails beneath them.

“I was starting to think you had fallen in.” She retorted dryly while observing a thumb. A light smile of amusement lifted her lips a few moments later as she looked up. Stars above, the fella looked so handsome without all that gaudy paint and props to his face...though saying that Beppi wasn’t cute already when all dolled up was an understatement she’d gladly take to the grave. The clown seemed to have read her mind, for his smile was as sweet as his eyes were heavy in the moment.

Beppi felt he was in a familiar spot again, holding a towel around his hips while cautiously eyeballing her. But, he managed a somewhat proud puffing of his chest while simultaneously pushing down another yawn.

“Hyuck. I’ve fallen for two things…” He grinned, holding up three fingers...before noticing them and sheepishly chuckling while reducing them to two. Bon Bon rolled her eyes while Djimmi chuckled in good spirits behind the clown.

“Yeah yeah, and I am a sweet thing to have around. Now get your butt into bed and rest up.” It had been one doozy of a day. 

Djimmi bumped Beppi forward despite his protests, though he quirked a brow when the Baroness made an effort to move. As the clown slowly clambered up onto the sheets and reached for an identical clean jumpsuit, the genie behind him raised a brow while regarding her.

“You are leaving?” He crossed his arms.

Bon Bon summoned a more apologetic smile with a dreamy gaze to her eyes while she shrugged. 

“Listen, Sugarland burns to a crisp when I’m not around to keep the little tarts in line.” 

She pulled on her white gloves and snapped them back into place, placing her hands on shapely hips while flashing an unimpressed glance at Beppi trying to wrestle himself back into his suit. She shared the same fondness in her gaze as Djimmi’s held, while shaking her head with a small chuff. Even without his makeup, the clown was still a clown at heart.

The Baroness waited until everything was back in place so she could creep along the edge, waiting for Beppi to stop yawning with a stretch before reaching out to pat his cheek. He blinked and regarded her for a moment, seeing a chance for a little bit of sugar before she was out of his hair for the night. He leaned in, balling his fists among the sheets for grounding while closing his eyes for a goodnight kiss...and suddenly feeling that blind lurching feeling in his stomach at leaning too far out.

Bon Bon snickered from a few steps back while he grappled for stability before he could topple off the edge, leaning back in a moment later to kiss his cheek.

“Take better care of yourself, you dork.”

Beppi blinked, furrowing his feathered brows and snorting while he watched her heel-turn and take her leave. His bare hand firmly rubbed at the lipstick print to his cheek, though his grin was wide and accomplished once he was sure that she was no longer around to see it. A soft tutting came from Djimmi, to which the clown stuck his tongue out in silent victory. Djimmi was just jealous that he didn’t get a kiss.

The clown was quite resolute in remaining where he sat as he was approached, but was quick to scatter once he realized that the entirety of the magician’s heavy weight was moving in to take that spot away from him. He scrambled to the side, smacking at the genie’s arm like a fussy child while his boyfriend got cozy in the now warmed spot. Djimmi exacted his revenge by tugging Beppi in for a warm embrace while he snapped his fingers to dim the surrounding lamps.

“It is time for sleep.”

“No.”

That wasn’t an acceptable answer. Disobey all he wanted, Beppi’s stubbornness wasn’t going to be his trump card for this round. He wiggled and snorted in the warm embrace, trying to weasel his way out while Djimmi drew forth the heavy blankets; the weight and warmth combined always snuffed out any remaining fires in his partner.

Sure enough, Beppi calmed considerably a few minutes after he was almost buried between a radiator for a chest and the thick layering of the covers, grumbling to himself while almost curling up into a ball on top of Djimmi’s chest and belly. For someone who floated around a lot and made arcane gestures with his arms, the magic maker was in surprisingly tough shape...as expected of him every night by now, it didn’t take much longer before his nails were digging into the hefty expanse of pecs in a sluggish kneading.

Djimmi only had to count down the minutes in his head, envisioning every minute as a flock of sixty sheep crossing a desert river. He never got to the tenth flock before Beppi was truly conked out from the overdose of snuggles and warmth. It was the transition period to Djimmi’s favorite time of day.

Beppi was a darling during the waking hours, but when he slept it was like looking at a painting from another perspective. He always danced on an impressive spectrum of absolutes; when something wasn’t absolutely exciting to him, he fussed. He loved playing out in the sunshine with his fans and friends but hated being cooped up inside during storms and heavy rain. He would rather run himself to exhaustion on his rides and through his toys than admit that it was a good idea to take a nap; Beppi hated naps as much as he disliked baths. Anything that took precious time away from his busy schedule was like putting a scared raccoon in a box- he’d eat his own arm off and claw apart his restraints before admitting that the fun was over.

When he was sleeping, the clown was a precious angel. Of course, it was because he was too deep in a slumber to cause much trouble, but his boundless energy still remained. The kneading was the first thing Djimmi had noticed during their early beginnings together. He recalled the first time his own eyes growing heavy while he held the showman close, lids slipping shut after finally succumbing to an honest day’s circus work...he had almost jumped out of his skin the moment bare nails raked across his flesh, almost convinced that the clown had something out for him once his guard was down...whether it was back in the past or on a night like tonight, his gentle gaze always twinkled as he watched those smaller hands digging fruitlessly against the smooth firmness of his chest or catching onto the sides of his vest. 

It was like an unconscious need to hold him close and keep him there, as if Beppi were afraid that as soon as he’d wake up, he’d be cold and lonely. It really made the genie wonder, just how much the clown kept pushed down.

He carefully adjusted his arm to be able to sweep it slowly along the soft fabric of Beppi’s suit, settling along the small of his back to idly pet across the notches of his spine just beneath the coverings. That was another quirk he noticed quickly: the reaction always brought Beppi’s hands to tighten and his back to arch slightly like a mellow feline. Sometimes, if he scratched in just the right places, Djimmi could even get his little rabbit to stretch out his spindly arms (and inevitably smack him in the face) in tune with those long, powerful kicking legs. Oh, how Djimmi had long figured out the firepower behind those.

It wasn’t rare that he’d wake up under the impression of being attacked. If Beppi wasn’t fidgeting with his hands, he was rolling around as if there were insects in his suit. He twitched, he kicked and smacked and wiggled around so much that Djimmi often jolted from a backhand to the teeth or a well timed heel to his kneecap. Sometimes the squirming because so much that by the time his eyes would open for the upteenth time that night, Beppi would be in yet another strange ragdolled pose that deviated from the others. 

Sometimes Beppi would snap upwards when his dreams became too vivid, speaking in tongues while looking at random places in the room while his boyfriend stared from below in unnerved confusion. On other occasions, he’d start pantomiming actions in his sleep in a bizarre game of charades that Djimmi found himself sleepily playing along. Some nights it was little flicks of the hands tossing invisible baseballs or mashing dream popcorn against his face...Djimmi still remembered that one night where it took him entirely too long to figure out that the tense motions the clown was making with his hands actually was him gripping the imaginary pole of a carousel horse. That was an awkward morning over breakfast...

One time a loud thump startled the genie out of his eventual slumber, and when he finally glanced down after scouring the bed did he realize that the clown had somehow wiggled out of his embrace and fallen face first onto the ground. He was still dead asleep, naturally.

On more instances than he could count, Djimmi often had to bring in spare blankets when the weather turned colder as Beppi was learning fast on snatching them away to cocoon himself into. Sometimes he growled when the genie tried to pry them away.

But, on a night like this, none of those events came aside from the kneading. There was sweet, blissful silence. A faint smell of vanilla and cocoa butter wafted up from the sleeping hellian currently at peace in his arms, and Djimmi agreed to himself just like he did on every night before that through all the chaos, he’d brave it all again and again. As he watched his sleeping clown prince, with his bare face and smushed cheek against a red pec, tongue poking out slightly while he grunted and kicked a foot during his dreaming...there was no other place the ancient genie would rather be, than right here protecting one of his favorite wishes that came true.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Questions? Curious about what I blog? Check out my tumblr!  
> Socks-on-parade.tumblr.com


	8. Patience

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quiet days were hell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a little drabble I made for a pal of mine. :) Happy birthday, dear!

Sometimes when Djimmi worked, Beppi would take up lounging at the mouth of the tent.

The genie had his own designated spot within the carnival to tell his fortunes and perform his tricks. Naturally, with a snap of magic and some skilled angling, he had crafted the space to resemble one of the pyramids back home that he missed greatly, outfitted with a plethora of rugs and cushions. In the very center was a positioned table with all of his special cards and trinkets needed to dazzle his guests, and when the foot traffic was quiet he simply delegated his time to reading or making new blends for his pipe.

On a day like today, the crowds were oddly thin. Beppi hated it.

The clown functioned at his most colorful insanity when the throngs were thick and the noise was loud and scattered. A quiet carnival felt oddly suffocating to him. His juggling acts became stale, as did his punchlines. Even crashing a bumper car into the biggest of painted targets felt so lackluster when the fair was quiet. So, when the madness of it all nibbled too much at his throat did he retreat to a space that could very well provide all of the attention (and more) that he so wished. 

The summer heat was almost stifling today, but Djimmi wasn’t at all bothered by it. He reclined in the coziness of his shaded spot, shuffling cards and nodding his head while regarding strange symbols upon them. He twirled his finger in a clockwise motion, guiding a levitating feather only feet away to scribble something into a propped open book atop a podium. Beppi watched him from the beanbag he occupied at the tent’s mouth, sprawled out like a cat across it while the midday sun beat down on his back. The heat didn’t bother him; his suit was more than insulated enough to keep his core temperature regulated, but what did miff the clown was how...boring, the old magician was being. A soft sigh escaped him.

His golden eyes moved to stare hard at the collection on the table, as he rubbed his mouth against the crooked arm he used as a pillow. So much time doing boring things, like reading and humming and nodding that wrapped-up head to silent ponderings. Where was the fun in that? It wasn’t like the pictures on the other cards were exciting or funny, anyway- all he ever saw was old men in robes or animals in weird poses. He watched crimson fingers drifting above the tabletop, waving themselves over the glossy bits of paper as if in silent debate of what to choose next. Beppi’s brow raised, before he shook his head and wiggled again in his beanbag to glance back outside. For what the thin crowds were worth, there at least seemed to be a greater number of couples out today.

At least they were more interesting to watch right now.

He pawed his way further up onto the large cushion, intrigued at the first couple nearest to the food stalls. He watched a nervous young man pulling out a bag of coins while his date pointed at a few listings on the menu board. The lad nodded along and pulled apart the string holding his savings. Beppi raised himself a bit and chuffed. Even from this distance, he knew what the girl had been pointing at; the kid was tugging at his collar over a soda pop and a funnel cake. The clown shook his head, and glanced back to the genie. Djimmi was pretty rich...rich as he was generous...the jester then glanced down to the full plate of fried sausages, pretzels and a now lukewarm glass of lemonade. At least the sun was keeping them well heated…

Beppi was quiet for a moment, before an idea sparked and he snorted out a sudden bout of giggles while pointing outside. His smile dropped into a frustrated pout as Djimmi blissfully kept working on his tarot cards. That was infuriating.

Grumbling to himself, the showman wrestled with the beanbag once more until he could flop onto his back. He stared up at the roof of the tent, miserable. Why was today so terrible?

Curiosity became the better of him. He quickly resorted to people watching again.

This time he saw a rather wealthy couple strolling about, with their fancy parasols and canes and pretty hats. It curled the clown’s lip. With money like that, the lady could certainly have a hundred soda pops and cakes…

She did look very pretty in her pastel blue summer dress, he had to admit. The fella, eh. Clown suits were superior anyways.

Beppi tutted at the sight. Then he groaned and facepalmed himself with both hands, dragging his fingers down the stubborn paint which still remained in place. Almost pleadingly, he looked back to Djimmi. This time the happy bastard was polishing his crystal ball. Beppi figured if a layer of paint was splattered all over it, Djimmi would be equally tickled to watch that dry too. The genie was whistling up a pleasant tune to himself as he cracked the rag up into the air, snapping it on both ends a moment later, and then starting to rub it vigorously as if he were polishing a bowling ball. Beppi was almost glaring at this point; the biggest urge to smash the thing for kicks was rising.

The clown slumped back again, throwing his arms up a moment later to pantomime piloting a rocket ship while blowing raspberries that were clearly engine noises. A similar noise outside the tent caught his fancy, prompting him to twist and bunch up again like a perched cat with his legs tucked.

Two young boys were chasing each other with balloons tied along their wrists. The leader was zooming forward, mimicking the noises of the distant roller coaster while his friend imitated the same bouncing and sharp turns. Judging by their giddiness and the hawkish gaze of their mothers close by, it seemed a few more years of growing were in order to meet the real thing. Beppi snorted again, nudging his mouth into the beanbag’s fabric to quiet his cackling. A soft rumble behind him sparked fresh excitement in the clown; he nearly fell over himself in scrambling. Hopeful, Beppi grinned at the genie, but it fell again once he realized Djimmi was reading from one of his favorite books.  
He only looked up when a wail of frustration sounded off from his boyfriend.

Beppi was back to laying on his stomach, curled around the giant round cushion with his back end this time directly facing the other male. This was his moment of rebellion and by god, he was going to make the most of it. He grit his teeth at the small hum he heard, and began to grind them once no moves nor sound was made to comfort him in his time of need. The audacity!

He couldn’t take this anymore. He was the head bitch in this place and he was not going to take this amount of neglect sitting down! 

Djimmi turned the page, chuckling at the joke presented in the next paragraph. This tome was incredibly helpful in divining the logic behind why one wishes...and he was wishing he had more time to react to the sudden white hand slapping itself right onto the middle of it. He blinked stupidly as Beppi smacked the book out of his hands, began to wedge himself between the table and the hunk and blatantly shrugged his shoulders at all of the items now tumbling off of the furniture behind him. He twisted himself around so that he could paw at the aquamarine vest once he settled, giving the genie one hell of a stink eye before it was buried with the rest of his face in a thick red shoulder. It took a few moments of mental gymnastics before the big arms he loved finally caught on to embrace him. Djimmi’s deep laughter only agitated him more.

“Hello, rabbit.”

That was in reference to the speed and boundless energy usually employed by the clown in his daily life, though Djimmi could feel those powerful legs threatening to curl in for a good knee to the loins. Beppi disliked that term- rabbits were NOT silly nor were they majestic, like lions or stallions. The old sage enjoyed them, however- every magician needed a mad little hare in their hands. He stroked his lover’s back, unable to silence the soft trembling of his amused chuckling while Beppi angrily kneaded and twitched inside of his embrace.

“All you need to be doing is ask.” He wheezed giddily once balled fists began tickling his stomach with little punches. That wouldn’t do. He released the hold just quickly enough to be able to reach down and grab both of the clown’s gloved hands before Beppi could really register it. Djimmi brought them both up to his own face, and let go. With no choice but to pull back and look at his partner, Beppi’s angered face had slipped into a long one as he pouted and instead cupped both the genie’s cheeks. Djimmi frowned.

He carefully hooked his arms around Beppi’s, slipping his thumbs into the corners of the jester’s mouth to push it up into a held smile. Beppi stared at him long and hard for a moment...then he began to tremble as deep whining started to bubble up from the pit of his belly.

It didn’t take a genius to realize it was the beginnings of his normal giggle fits.

The clown hiccuped and immediately erupted into a booming burst of giggles, smacking away his boyfriend’s hands while the relieved ancient sighed and took to holding him once again. 

“I am sorry, for being so plain.” The genie mumbled, amused himself in how ironic that sounded. Then again, a bored clown was also a scary thought. Fortunately, his was more content now in nuzzling his face onto one of his shoulders while slipping his hands back down to wrap around that thick crimson neck he loved clinging to.

“Don’t do it again.” He tutted stubbornly, to which Djimmi kissed his cheek, looped an arm back around him, and made an effort to retrieve his book from the floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Questions? Requests? Hit me up on my tumblr!  
> Socks-on-parade.tumblr.com


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